Mobius
by Anaphalis
Summary: Kagome's got a horny kitsune, an invisible 'friend' and a kamikaze quest with a five hundred year deadline. Oh yeah, and she's disguised as a boy. But when did that ever get in the way of "twue wuv? Let's just not answer that... Rurouni Kenshin X Inuyasha
1. Prologue: Round n' Round

**Story Title:** Mobius

**Author:** Anaphalis

**Story Summary**: Kagome's got a horny kitsune, an invisible 'friend' and a kamikaze quest with a five hundred year deadline. Oh yeah, and she's disguised as a boy. But when did that ever get in the way of "twue wuv"? Let's just not answer that....

**Foreword:** After I finished writing my last RK/IY crossover, I vowed to myself that I wouldn't touch another crossover- too many characters, too much research and far too much work. Of course, I instantly started writing another story starring the characters that I knew the least about in Rurouni Kenshin, taking place in a time period that I knew very little about, and using a relatively complicated back story that involved nasty perspective shifts between the past and the present, even though there was no actual time travel. -Headdesk- I swear I'm secretly masochistic. Just to clarify, this story is **not **AU for either series and does **not** involve time travel of any kind. I'm flying by the seat of my pants with this thing, so any and all suggestions for improvement are welcomed and appreciated. That being said, I hope that you enjoy the story!

**The reason for the title: **I've always been fascinated by Mobius strips. They're really interesting because they only have one side and one edge- no beginning and no end. They even got incorporated into religion by becoming a symbol of Tantric Buddhism representing the concept of "continuity." And yes, all of this rambling will later make sense in the context of the story.

**Chapter Summary**: It's really hard to get in a little uninterrupted stalking time.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump. 'Hello Kitty' belongs to an evil alien overlord er... 'corporation' somewhere in Japan. Incidentally, did you know that it's 'Hello Kitty's thirtieth anniversary this year? Scary....

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Prologue: Round n' Round**

_Can you remember the days  
When you were sweet sixteen  
And always followed the ways  
Of someone else's dream?  
Now everything changes  
Ain't nothing the same  
I'm having the strangest feeling, baby  
I can't remember my name_

_Goin' round n' round n' round n' round...._

- Aerosmith, "Round n' Round"

_July 25, 1993. Tokyo._

She's fighting again. One of the big kids 'borrowed' her favorite stuffed toy and now she's bopping him over the head with her 'Hello Kitty' lunch bucket.

Ouch! Okay, _that's_ not his head and that's **got **to hurt. On the positive side, it's nice to see that she's developing survival skills at this age. She's getting pretty good at using her knee-

"You have to stop doing this."

Not 'her' again. Let's play innocent.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't even try to play innocent. You can't stalk that poor girl every hour of the day until she turns fifteen."

"Try me."

"I could force you to leave here, to not come back until her birthday."

"You could, but there's also the chance that she might discover that she can fry certain people by touching them. You can't afford to take the risk that she'll have any kind of protective knowledge when she goes. You need me to keep her as innocent as a sacrificial lamb."

"We've been over this before-"

"Every week for the last five hundred years. And nothing that you've said has ever convinced me that it's necessary."

"But you still obey me."

"Because in the end I will sacrifice her, myself and everyone else to make sure that this nightmare ends."

Well that shut her up. Maybe she'll even take the hint and fuck off.

"You were never meant to carry this all by yourself."

Okay, apparently not.

"Look. Shi's going to be back any minute and as much as I want to have a heart-to-heart with a sanctimonious, self-righteous little prick, I don't think that you really want to expose yourself to the rest of the world."

Oops. Did I say that out loud? Bad, bad me. Maybe I'll have offended her so badly that she'll disappear and never come back.

Nah. I never have that kind of luck.

"Lashing out at me won't change the past."

What part of 'sanctimonious, self-righteous little prick' **didn't **she understand? Well, maybe the prick part doesn't apply, although I've never been too sure with her. She was always _way_ too obsessed with getting on my ass. Think brain! There must be some way to get her to bugger off.

"Did I ever tell you about the time that Shi and I got really, really drunk and visited that teahouse in old Tokyo-"

"Um... I think that I should probably go before your companion returns."

Score! Did I mention that she's also a raging prude with a phobia of anything to do with deviant sex? 'Deviant' of course meaning not 'missionary position with the girl doing a good imitation of a block of ice.' Doesn't matter that I wouldn't have been caught dead in a Tokyo teahouse- she's finally left me blissfully alone and I can go back to stalking in peace.

"You're _still_ here?"

Good to see you too, Shi.

"No. I'm actually a figment of your overactive imagination."

"Nah. If that were true, you'd be naked and there'd be two of you."

"I _told_ you to stop watching those channels before bedtime- Damn! Now you've made me lose track of the fight!"

"She's fighting _again_?"

"She's a stubborn little monster. I'm rather proud of her."

"You do know that your priorities have become unrecognizably warped from when I first met you?"

I know that this is just a part of our normal joking to make our hellish lives a little bit less soul-destroying. It still feels like a kick to the gut.

Obviously he realizes it too.

"Gods, I'm sorry. That was totally uncalled for."

"Hey, you don't even want to get me started on your newfound obsession with non-existent manga characters. Now _that's _warped!"

"There's nothing wrong with a little fantasizing about impossibly hot girls- Hey did she just knee him in the nuts!?!"

"Again?"

And off we go again. It does no good to dwell on these things- they'll eat you alive if you let yourself think about the past.

"Damn. It looks like mom's coming with little brother to intervene- Oh wait! She's giving him one final kick before they drag her away."

"That's my girl!"

"You know, you used to hate violence."

What the fuck is it about me today that people think that I _want _to have a soul-searching conversation? Do I have some kind of tattoo on my forehead that says 'Please bring up all the painful memories of my past so that I can sob on your shoulder and make you feel like a real man.'? Actually that probably wouldn't fit on my forehead. Maybe my butt-

"It's a hundred and ten years today."

Oh. That's why. Strangely enough, I actually **had** forgotten. Thanks for reminding me, asshole.

"Do you ever think about Kyoto- Of course you don't. You probably don't even remember, do you? Just forget I said anything."

"Already forgotten."

Of course I remember, Shi. But we both knew that already, didn't we?

_Updated 12-16-04_


	2. Chapter 1: Protect Me

**Author's Note**: I just realized that I forgot to post Chapter One yesterday, without which the Prologue makes no sense whatsoever. Yes- I _am _an idiot.

Please let me know if I've gotten any of the definitions wrong. Thanks!

**Quick Vocabulary**:

**Shi**- death

**Kage**- shadow

**Oniwabanshu**- literally "demons who guard the lord", an elite group of secret warriors (often referred to as ninja) who protected the last of the Tokugawa shogunate during the Meiji revolution

**Ishin Shishi**- supporters of the emperor who overthrew the shogunate during the Meiji Revolution and brought in the Meiji Era

**Hitokiri**- assassin

**Okashira**- leader of the Oniwabanshu

**Chapter Summary**: The best guests are the ones that bring their own weapons.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump.

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Chapter 1: Protect Me**

_Always wanting help_

_Will make you weak_

_The price of loving life_

_Does not come cheap_

_Climb out of your well_

_Protect me_

-James, "Protect Me"

_September 5, 1881. Meiji Era Kyoto._

Kikyo must have done some pretty nasty stuff in her lifetime; because there is no way that I accumulated all of this bad karma on my own. I know I'm not Buddhist. That doesn't mean that I'm not firmly convinced about the karma-thing-

Hey! Watch it, Shi! Just because I can't talk doesn't mean that you can treat me like a sack of potatoes! And for gods' sake, watch where those swords are poking!

I should probably be nicer. I mean, carrying me _does _leave him completely open to attack. Not to mention that he's starting to look some kind of circus act with those four swords attached to his waist- Damn! That hurt! What the hell is he thinking? I get sick just thinking about walking in the garbage on Kyoto's streets, much less taking a swim in it. So how the hell does a bloody kitsune trip over his own feet?

Oh. Right. He walks for three days without stopping so that he can get me to safety. Don't I feel like a witch- ignore that moan please.

Oh no. He's opened my yukata to make sure I'm okay. Darn those worried green eyes.

"Hold on Kage- we're nearly there."

You're far too good to me, Shi. Now please, please ignore that whimper.

Not a chance. Thirty seconds later and he's got me propped on his knee while he checks my forehead.

"Gods, you're burning up!"

Yes, I am. I've got three days of complications from a basically untreated chest wound. But there's nothing you can do about it right now, so stop beating yourself up.

Okay, going faster is not really going to make either of us feel good right now.

"I swear that we must have really pissed off the gods at some point this last mission. Nothing's gone right since we left Tokyo."

No argument there. I'll have to tell him my karma theory when my throat doesn't feel like I'm hosting a fire ant convention.

"I know, I know, I should treat the gods with more respect and stop making stupid jokes. Honestly though, it must have been one hell of a stupid joke to get us into this mess."

He's so sweet to remember that he shouldn't insult the gods around a Shinto priestess. I'll ask the gods not to smite him. And Shi- it wasn't the jokes. The jokes are bad enough that they're considered a form of punishment all by themselves.

Was that a noise behind us?

Apparently Shi hears it too, because he's switched me to a one-arm hold, one hand on his sword hilt. We've been lucky- so far we've avoided the thugs. We've also avoided the authorities. They tend to not so politely tell us that swords are no longer allowed in the new era of peace. I don't know if Shi's been disguising the swords, but I do know that he is far too close to exhaustion for any of his disguise spells to hold much longer. And that would be beyond disastrous-

Apparently we're both jumping at shadows. Shi's relaxed again, slung me back into a carry hold. Easy on the legs there- they may not have permanently crippled me, but it still hurts when you put my open wound over top of your sword hilt.

Wait- we're leaving the street now, entering a property. Does this mean that we're finally almost there? I guess so- Shi's knocking on the door now, trying to straighten up and look imposing. It's too bad that he's in almost as bad of shape as I am. I swear, the next time I get my hands on that damn woman-

I can feel Shi's hands shaking. This is not good. They better be fast to the door or he's going to drop me on top of them. Shi seems to know this too- the door's barely opened before he rushes out the greeting.

"I claim sanctuary with the Kyoto Oniwabanshu as a representative of the Tokyo family. 'Let the hawk feel the blood in his talons.'"

Shi and I had a long conversation once about secret societies and their incredibly showy passwords. We decided that it was a compensation thing. Of course there's also the creepy predator imagery they all seem to use-

Something's wrong. There shouldn't be this much tension coming from the other side of the door. My vision's been all off since the accident, so unless something's literally in my face I can only make out blurry shapes and colors. I have no idea what our doorman looks like but he's hesitating an awfully long time before giving the counter-signal-

Aw hell. I bet it's because of that damn hitokiri again. Why the hell did the chief Ishin Shishi assassin have to be a short red-head? It's not like long red hair is all that common anyways, but added to the fact that Shi's a swordsman.... Well there seem to be a lot of people still holding a grudge against the Hitokiri Battousai. I remember Toyama-san warning us about something like this in Tokyo, but we were in too much of a hurry to get our job done to pay attention. In fact, didn't Toyama-san mention that the Okashira of the Kyoto branch had a special grudge against the guy? I need to think of something- neither of us are up for a fight right now. Maybe if I channel some of my powers I can make a ward-

"Let the nest feed on his success."

Forget the hesitation- what a voice! The guy sounds like smoke over velvet. Probably is sixty years old and pock-marked, but damn!

"For a minute there, I was afraid that I'd got the wrong address- Kage would kill me if I gave away the password to a random stranger."

What are you doing, Shi? We're warriors- we don't make jokes. If we're feeling particularly conversational we grunt manfully. Gods, he must be on the verge of collapse. I've never seen him break character like that before.

"Kage?"

That'll snap him out of it. No one else is allowed to call me by name except him. I can feel him stiffening under me, becoming the disciplined soldier.

"He needs medical attention immediately. I have all the supplies I need to treat him, but I need a space and fresh clothes and boiling water."

There's the voice that an emperor would envy. Shi always claims that he doesn't have any taiyoukai blood, but sometimes I wonder.... Oh good. Our reluctant doorman is efficient. He's provided house footwear and ordered clothes and water from some shadowy servant. Now he's leading us towards the back of the compound without any further questioning. I'm trying to make my eyes focus on him, but all I can tell is that he's tall. And dark. Oh, and he's got one of the most brooding auras it has ever been my pleasure to be smothered by.

Seven hundred and thirty-three foot steps without a word of conversation. One- this place is huge. Two- I'm really bored. Three- This is taking the 'strong, silent' thing to extremes.

Oh wait... It looks like we're stopping now, some kind of bedroom- I think I can make out a futon.

"Is this where I can work?"

Was that a grunt of approval?

Obviously tall, dark and brooding isn't a big conversationalist. What a waste.

Oh... That's nice.... Thanks for being so gentle, Shi. It feels so good to be able to lie down again. It looks like the servants were faster than we were- there's a bucket of water and some clean clothes beside the futon already. Well actually there's a brown blob and a couple of white blobs, but I'm pretty optimistic.

You've gotten way too good at this, Shi. How many times have we bent over one another, cleaning out life-threatening injuries? I'm getting too old for this. Doesn't matter if my body doesn't age- it's times like these that I feel every one of my four hundred and nineteen years.

"Will you need any assistance?"

Wow. He even sounds vaguely concerned. You're not even going to look up are you, Shi? Once you start working, you don't let anything interrupt you. It wouldn't hurt to be polite here- we need the sanctuary.

Well, it seems like our personal mute isn't offended enough to challenge Shi- I can hear the screen closing.

"I am Shinomori Aoshi, Okashira of the Kyoto Oniwabanshu. To whom do I extend guest rights?"

Oh hell.

You don't offer guest rights unless you don't trust the guest. By accepting the rights, you both agree not to kill each other for the duration of your stay. It's practical, but more than a little insulting. Shi always hates people who offer guest rights.

Come on, Shi. Don't get your pride up now. As much as I hate to admit it, that last hit was a little too close for comfort and you're far too close to collapse. We need his protection.

"I accept guest rights on behalf of Higurashi Kage. I accept guest rights for Higurashi Shi."

**Reviewer Responses**

**Emerald-Eyed-Faye**: Don't worry! I'm finished writing "Choice of Roads" not posting. There are still two chapters left- but they need some heavy editing before I'll be posting them:) Anyways, that was very nice of you _not_ to say that the prologue made no sense. As I said in my Author's note- I'm a complete idiot and I hope that you enjoy the story anyways now that I've posted the first chapter. By the way- thanks for the faith in me, you're a huge inspiration ;)

**Arin Ross**: I'm really happy that you enjoy my writing style and that your curiosity was peaked by my prologue. Thank you for your thoughtful review and I hope that you enjoy the new chapter.

_Updated 12-17-04_


	3. Chapter 2: Persuasion

**Happy New Years!**

**Quick Vocabulary**:

**Shi**- death

**Kage**- shadow

**Chapter Summary**: When all else fails, bring in the big vines.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump.

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Chapter 2: Persuasion**

_"To yield readily-easily-to the **persuasion** of a friend is no merit with you."_

_"To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either."_

-Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice"

_July 25, 1993. Tokyo._

"Maybe we should try to rent an apartment- I mean we are going to be in the neighborhood for quite a while. Your 'friend' promised us that we wouldn't have any more out-of-area jobs until the big bang."

I grunt as I turn the page. "We've got the money- why not use it?"

"Don't you ever want to live somewhere for longer than a few days? Don't you ever get tired of always moving?"

I put down my book and look over at Shi lounging on the bed. He's far too beautiful to be a guy, but that's a kitsune thing. Damn- he knows I'm looking and he's starting to smile. Every woman we've ever met, and quite a few of the guys have been conned into losing their shirts by his smile. Of course, I've known him since he was three feet high and spoke in a high-pitched whine, so the smile doesn't work on me. Well, not most of the time. I **can** resist some of the time- Okay! Fine! When he smiles I'd hand him my ass on a platter if he asked. He knows it too. Strangely though, he only uses it when he really, really wants something. Damn- now he's using the "sincere" eyes. It's a fatal combination.

"I know that you have your reasons for not wanting to stay in one place, but we're nearly there Kage."

Don't you **dare** come over here, you arrogant kitsune bastard! No... No! No touching! Oh... Gods... I really needed a massage. Damn you.

I can feel the tension seeping out of my body and all I really want to do is curl up in my best friend's arms and go to sleep. Unfortunately that's not an option.

"Shi?"

"Uh huh?"

"Could you go make some popcorn?"

"We're going to watch movies!?!"

He looks like I just told him his birthday came early. For godsakes he's practically _bouncing _as he heads into the kitchenette. Shi's such a little kid sometimes and I love that even after everything that's happened some part of him is still that… innocent. It makes me feel a little better that nothing I've made him do has managed to destroy that happiness he keeps in his heart. I guess we were both lucky that he was already a pretty strong, fully developed person by the time I met him.

I remember when we first found out that he was a lot older than he'd been letting on. Inuyasha found him without his disguise spell and nearly tore him to pieces. Shi just grinned and said that it was all worth it to have gotten so much bath time with Sango and I.

Maybe that's why Shi stays with me- he's got a long-term death wish.

Time to stop daydreaming. Shi's back and he isn't happy about the tapes I'm about to put in the VCR. Aww…. What an adorable pout. And no- I'm not falling for it.

"Why can't we just watch porn?"

"Don't think I don't remember the last time you picked out porn for us to watch."

It's not quite as bad as it sounds. Really. Shi and I were very, very drunk- Come to think of it a _lot _of our stories start with 'Shi and I were very, very drunk'…. But anyways we were totally smashed and I started telling Shi about that distant lifetime when Eri had tried to make us watch a porno for her sixteenth birthday and he said that he'd never actually seen a porno and one thing led to another and Shi came back with 'Foxy Girl'. I think the first five minutes of that movie sobered me faster and more completely than _any _hangover cure I've ever come across.

"Hey- it's not my fault that 'Foxy Girl' was literally a fox!"

I glare at him and he seems to realize that it's a good time to keep quiet. Frankly I don't care if Shi's sexual preferences run to the furry as long as I don't have to watch the mentally scarring evidence. Well, maybe I care a little.

"Getting back on topic- she's finally asleep and I've set up the wards as best I can. If she decides to purify the prefecture we should get some early warning. I don't remember anything that exciting ever happening, so I'm pretty sure that we'll manage to stop her anyways. If we can skim the day's tapes then I can get some well-deserved sleep."

"Hey! I need sleep too!"

"Whatever demon-boy. I remember that time in Hakone you went for three weeks without sleeping and still managed to wake me up at dawn Every. Single. Fucking. Morning."

Shi sticks out his tongue and I return the favor and we both flop onto the bed to watch the day's surveillance tapes. He's right though- most of the day is about as exciting as watching paint dry and to top it off I've already seen it live. But then of course there's the fight.

Shi turns to me and I can see his popcorn as he loudly chews and talks. "You know- I don't remember her being that violent when we first met. And isn't she a little old for stuffed toys? What the hell happened?"

I watch as Mom and Souta drag her up the steps of the shrine, beyond the range of my camera.

"Her Dad died."

Shi stops chewing the popcorn and lays a hand on my arm. It's almost touching until he opens his mouth. "I can relate to that. Repressed anger and all that shit."

"You know, you were doing fine until you started talking." I smile at him to take some of the sting out of my words. "If it makes you feel better, she'll transfer schools for middle school and all the violence will disappear."

"Until she shows up five hundred years in the past."

"Yeah, well, nobody's perfect. And purifying demons is therapeutic."

Shi's eyes flicker for a second before he returns to his new favorite topic.

"It'd be a lot easier to set up permanent surveillance if we had a long-term place to stay. Not to mention that we wouldn't have to smuggle the equipment around and you wouldn't have to spend your days and nights getting up close and personal with the local bushes."

"I'll give you the equipment smuggling and I agree that the cameras would work for the evenings, but how could I watch her during the day without getting 'up close and personal'?"

Shi's eyes shift, a sure sign that I'm not going to like whatever he's come up with.

"You could tag her."

"No. Way. In. Hell."

"If you attach the energy to her clothing, it won't even touch her soul. You can set it so that it'll disappear when she comes home and it won't have time to have any effect. It'll work far better than the camera and you'll **know** if she tries to tap the miko powers."

"And who's going to be the fucking conduit, Shi?"

"I'll lend you a plant."

And that's when I know that he's really serious about all of this. Kitsunes are supposed to have an affinity for plants and nature and spend their day frolicking in the sun. Obviously they seriously fucked up when they made Shi. Plants literally shrink away when he walks in the woods. I've seen patches of grass disappear if he stands in one spot too long. No joke. One night I spiked all of his drinks with the strongest sake I could get my hands on and asked him about his black thumb. He told me that it was because he'd spent too much time in the cities. The plants said that he "tasted like steel". The only thing I really learned out of that was that Shi tries to protect my feelings even when he's drunk. It isn't cities that make Shi taste like steel.

Focus Kage! Blanking out isn't going to help you figure out why Shi is so determined to have an apartment that he'd lend you one of his precious vines! He's only got three- mutants of some kind that don't seem to mind his 'taste'. He had to kill to get them. Literally. Being a conduit is potentially destructive and will possibly contaminate his vine so badly he won't be able to touch it after we're finished....

Let's see exactly what Shi is asking. "Tagging" someone involves taking a piece of my energy and attaching it to someone. If I'm within a reasonable distance of the energy I can focus it from a distance so that it acts as a window into the area around it. Turns out Kanna's mirror was really a focused form of spiritual energy and a modified form of my own energy will do sort of the same thing. Minus the soul-sucking.

There are a couple of problems with this. One- to get the visuals back to where I am I need a window of my own. Unfortunately, unlike Kanna, I can't just grab some stupid mirror- I need a living host willing to be exposed to miko energy for long periods of time while projecting images through their very own energy tag. Two- with the kind of stuff going on in my body and mind, my miko energy can have 'strange' effects on the tagged host and the tagged victim. Frankly my energy ain't as pure as it used to be. After the incident with the sociopathic priest, I swore off tagging altogether.

Shi's solved the problem of contaminating my target, but there's a good chance that I'll inject his vine with so much miko energy that it will hurt him if he touches it or that I'll destroy the vine completely with my nasty energy contamination. I can't see Shi handing over his babies with such an uncertain outcome. He's _named _them for godsakes!

"Look- I know that you hate leaving pieces of your energy on anyone, but if you use Po, he's tough enough to handle whatever you can dish out."

Five hundred years and it's still strange to hear Shi use modern slang. Well, 'modern' as in the last hundred years sense, but still. More importantly though, I _like _Po. Po's pretty cool. For a vine. Well- for an evil vine.

It seems like he can read my thoughts because he's crawling over the bed and up onto my back.

"See! He wants to help! How can you resist those adorable er… leaves?"

"Shi- I'm not going to risk contaminating your pet vine."

"Po's not a vine!"

"Then what exactly is he?"

"He's a liana!"

"And what the hell is a liana?"

"A woody plant that climbs larger plants in the understory and wraps itself around the taller trees that form the canopy!"

"So… Po's a **big** vine?"

Silence.

"Shut up."

As I said before, Shi's adorable when he pouts. I'm leaning over to give him an affectionate pat on the head while trying not to dislodge Po when the pain hits.

The first seizures quickly knock Po off my shoulder and I curl up in a little ball and wrap my arms around my knees. I've learned from experience it's better to just ride out the pain- if I try to fight it, it just gets worse- Aw, fuck it. The truth is that this pain reduces me to a whimpering sobbing ball, even after five hundred years of exposure. Those assholes haven't beaten me yet, but they sure have managed to destroy the last shreds of my dignity.

"Shi...."

I hate this. I hate how helpless this makes me. I hate how much I need comfort when I'm like this.

"Shhh.... It's okay.... I'm here...."

I try to lean back into his arms, but I'm seizing so hard black spots are moving in front of my eyes. Shi doesn't move away even though he's likely going to have bruises from my flailing. When it finally stops I'm too drained and embarrassed to even lift my head to thank him. As always, he knows exactly what to do, pulling me back against him while he gently brushes the hair out of my eyes.

"We'll do whatever you want, Kage. I won't ask about the apartment or the tagging again- if you're more comfortable on the move I don't have any real problems with sleeping in hotels."

He could have taken advantage of the fact that he'd just proven how dependent I am on him to make his point. He could have guilted me into buying him half of Tokyo for the amount of crap that I've managed to dump on him over our time together. Instead he relied on me to remember his reasonable, well-thought out argument in favor of a reasonable, well-thought out plan.

Damn you, Shi.

"We'll go look for a place tomorrow."

"You know, I just might have a few ideas-"

In spite of myself, I can't help grinning at the slow smile that spreads over his face. I'm woman enough to admit when I've been played.

"When did you put the damage deposit down, Shi?"

"Last week."

He doesn't even blush. Damn kitsune.

He grins.

Damn gorgeous kitsune.

I **so** need to get laid.

-###-

**Reviewer Responses**

**Inuyashasnuna**: Well, this is going to be a very different story than "A Choice of Roads", but I'm really happy that you enjoyed the beginning. I hope that you like the rest of the story and thanks for taking the time to comment :)

**Fornax**: I have this thing for making really complicated and scary opening chapters. I can't help myself. I swear it's a disease :) Anyways I hope that you enjoy the story and that it makes more sense now. And yes it **is **Kagome and Shippou :)

**Emerald-Eyed-Faye**: Thank goodness! I realized what an idiot I was the next morning when I looked over the prologue and realized that the only name that was mentioned was "Shi". Yup- I'm fond of incomprehensible openings. I hope that you enjoy the chapter and don't worry about being busy- I'm just happy that you're enjoying the story :)

_Updated 01-01-05_


	4. Chapter 3: Gallantry

**Author's Notes**: Sorry for taking so long to update- I'm hitting a real brick wall trying to find information on Aoshi and the Oniwabanshu, so I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies. Please let me know if I've gotten things wrong!

**Quick Vocabulary**:

**Shi**- death

**Kage**- shadow

**Kodachi**: "small sword" with a blade between twelve and eighteen inches

**Youki**: really roughly translated as "demon energy", sort of the demon equivalent of the miko spiritual energy

**Chapter Summary**: In diplomatic circles they call it a "conflict of personalities". Of course, diplomats don't normally carry kodachi or purify demons.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump.

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Chapter 3: Gallantry**

_Gallantry to women - the sure road to their favor - is nothing but the appearance of extreme devotion to all their wants and wishes, a delight in their satisfaction, and a confidence in yourself as being able to contribute toward it._

-William Hazlitt

_September 5, 1881. Meiji Era Kyoto._

The footsteps have barely faded down the hallway when Shi pulls back and places his hand over mine.

"I think he's gone now-can you help me focus the energy"

I squeeze his hand and he reaches over to brush back the hair that has fallen out of its holder.

"I'm so sorry, Kage- I know you're almost completely drained, but you're too badly infected for me to only use the herbs."

I try to relax and focus through my massive headache. I close my eyes, reaching out with my mind to touch that part of Shi that makes him kitsune with the part of me that makes me miko.

Technically this should fry him.

Technically we shouldn't have had that nasty incident two hundred years ago that makes my miko energy think that his energy is just another part of me.

See? Technicalities always cancel out!

As long as the energy enters my body with a "miko energy" chaperone, he's just considered extra power. And my body _likes _extra power. I can feel the warm brush against me, feel myself getting stronger as he starts channeling energy into me, mending bones, closing wounds, making skin regrow.

It's the part of his power that he should be using to make plants grow, to commune with nature. Instead he's perverted it to become "Kage's Sooper Sekret Energy Source".

I'd like to think that I'm prettier than the vines anyways.

He shouldn't be doing this- he's far too close to collapse himself. But if I don't help him, he'll try anyways and we'll both end up in far worse shape. That and some part of me really enjoys feeling Shi's energy like this- just as long as we don't have a repeat of The Disaster. Or should I say The-Disaster-That-Didn't-Involve-The-Jewel-Or-"Her"-Or-Psychotic-Priests-Or-Spiders-In-My-Futon.

Yes. Spiders.

Hey- we've all got phobias. It's just that most people aren't able to fry their objects of phobia along with everything else that may or may not contain demon blood/ be alive/ move in the surrounding neighborhood.

Stupid spider. Good thing that everyone else in the neighborhood _was_ an evil youkai in disguise. I'd like to call it intuition, but Shi says it was just blind luck. Personally, I kind of agree with him. Just like technicalities, my luck that there are always youkai/evil humans/spiders wherever we travel had to eventually cancel out with my random frying of things in my general area.

I haven't always been so lucky.

But I don't really want to think about that.

I slowly open my eyes- Shi's still working, but my part is basically done.

He looks so old right now.

I feel a little sad- those faint scars that even his youkai healing abilities can't erase are all because he chose to stick with me after the curse. Hell, he even had to change his name when we started traveling- in those early days "Shippou" was a little too obviously not-human. Not many kids named "Tail".

Ironically it was the youkai who renamed both of us. Among the politer names they had for Shi was "Death" and I was Death's shadow. I needed a guy's name; Shi needed a new name period. Most people don't mess with a wandering swordsman named Death. Works out pretty well, huh?

"Is everything okay, Kage?"

I squeeze his hand again. Obviously he must have finished and wondered why I still looked glazed over.

"Are you strong enough to ward the room"

I nod and he lets out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god." I feel the brief flare of youki as he lowers the disguise spells. He's asleep within seconds.

This is how I like him best, four tails flopping lazily on the futon, pointy ears and cute little fangs peeking out as he snores. Even though I can always see through the disguise spell, it still seems so much more natural when he drops it and there isn't that annoying shimmery effect if I stare at him for too long. I carefully put the shielding spells back up over both of us- there aren't too many people left who can sense youki or spiritual energy, but you can never be too careful.

"Is something wrong?"

Aw hell. I should have known tall and brooding was a sensitive. I still can't talk and Shi's out for the count. I'll have to focus some of my remaining energy into healing my throat.

"Everything...fine..." Okay. That really hurt. Now please just go away.

"Are you the broken one?"

Broken one! "Yes... Shi...asleep..."

Oh hell.

He's opening the screen.

Now I'm not panicking as hard as I could be. Even if Shi's stopped focusing energy on the disguise spell, Okashira here should still see a human swordsman. Shi's disguise spells work as suggestion spells- the person sees what they expect to see and, after that, they continue to see the image even if the disguise isn't active.

If they don't know what to look for, they won't see it.

It's gotten easier and easier as the youkai fade away and people don't _expect_ to see a four-tailed sword-bearing kitsune.

My problem is that I don't think the Okashira got a good look at _me_.

I mean I have some bindings and stuff to make me look young and male. But if anyone's going to take a real close look it will become pretty obvious that I'm er… minus a few pieces of equipment.

I can't really move right now, but apparently Shi pulled up the blanket when he was healing me. My breasts are bound really tightly and it's kind of dark in here anyways- I think the light went out while I was thinking.

Well, I can see big guy's light as he opens the screen, but it should still be okay unless he gets really clo-

Wow.

He's gorgeous.

So much for a pockmarked sixty year-old.

Drooling equals not good.

Drooling equals not manly.

Stop drooling, Kage.

It's not as if he'd notice anyways.

He's completely focused on checking the corners of the room, running his light over the walls and-

I _felt _that!

Damn. Damn. Damn.

People in this era aren't supposed to be able to probe for spiritual energy like that!

Good thing my shield held, but I'm starting to think that staying here is a really bad idea. Shi and I need to have a good talk tomorrow morning.

"Did someone else come into this room?"

"No."

Okay, he's got gorgeous eyes, but it's a little creepy when the light's casting shadows on his face and he doesn't blink or change expression while he Keeps. Staring. At. Me.

"Was there any movement in this room other than your companion?"

"No."

Does this guy ever smile? Is he hiding some kind of monster in his mouth that will escape if he cracks a grin?

"You are both too weak to have produced the energy I felt. Whatever was here must have been outside and left. I don't know why it would have been attracted to low-strength couriers."

Okay, that would be "yes" to the demon-in-the-mouth.

I think I can see why he doesn't talk much. I mean, it takes _talent_ to make someone so gorgeous seem so absolutely unattractive.

"Wouldn't… know… strength… if …jumped up…bit your… arrogant-"

I just said that out loud, didn't I?

Aw hell.

This is why Shi generally handles the diplomacy. And hey- it's been an awful day.

Fortunately luck is still with me. Although Okashira does _not_ look amused, our little guest agreement is going to save my life. Man- his fingers are twitchy over that kodachi. Good thing he's leaving the room now.

Or maybe not.

He's pausing in the doorway. "You can talk now. Tell your companion I want the reports that the Okashira sent tomorrow morning." And then, more quietly, "Damn Misao for sending me fools and weaklings."

That's an impressive slam for a screen divider.

Jerk.

But wait a minute…. You said 'Misao'. Without an honorific. Now while you seem like a condescending jerk, even condescending jerks wouldn't want word getting back to Misao-san that they were being disrespectful. She's scary.

So Shinomori Aoshi, Kyoto Okashira- what's your connection to the Tokyo Okashira again?

Let me think a minute.

Oh… OH!

You're the one who broke Toyama Misao's heart.

Oh don't worry- she wasn't the sort to kiss and tell.

But I didn't live four hundred years without learning to read between the lines- especially when I can really, really empathize.

What were the lines again?

"Aoshi-sama, he… made it _very _clear to me that there would never be anything between us, even if he ever considered me an adult. And Toyama-san was so kind and he _loved_ me and it felt good to be loved and then I woke up one morning and I was married."

Okay, so maybe there wasn't much reading-between-the-lines.

People tend to say things they probably shouldn't say when they're half-drunk and asking a priest for spiritual advice. I heard about everything- about Okina, about the deaths of your men, about your desire to be strongest. I heard about how you decided to connect with all of the old members of the Oniwabanshu to form a new organization dedicated to intelligence gathering for the highest bidder, about how you moved headquarters and left Okina behind. I heard _all_ about how Toyama-san was the Tokyo representative and when Misao left with him it was decided to have two Okashiras- Misao in Tokyo and… you in Kyoto. And about how this time you didn't fight the return of the title.

Oh yeah- did I mention that you came off sounding like an obsessive jackass?

So maybe I'm not the most unbiased witness. But hey- darn it if she wasn't almost scarily like the old me, or maybe like a me who had been raised by ninjas and a perverted old man.

I really _liked_ Toyama Misao and Toyama-san was almost disturbingly close to a Meiji-era ninja Houjou. Maybe that's why I didn't make the connection until now- I had been expecting another Inuyasha, not a Sesshoumaru.

I mean you're good-looking, but you've got all the personal appeal of a large block of ice. How could someone as _alive_ as Misao-san be that warm for you, even after marrying someone else?

What sort of man are you Shinomori Aoshi, to inspire that kind of devotion?

And more importantly, why would you choose to throw it away?

-

**Reviewer Responses**

**Emerald-Eyed-Faye**: Ah yes, "bestiality" Shi and "horny" Kage- it certainly is a little different :) I have a soft spot for the "Anne" series myself and I figure that the crossover isn't going to get me in any more trouble than I'm already in- glad you liked it :) Sorry this chapter took so long- I need to find a better way to get information- that or just call this a total AU so that I don't have to worry. Oh- and if you ever do want to write the Charity!Fic, do let me know- I think it might be fun :) As always, a pleasure to hear from you and hopefully you'll continue to enjoy the new chapter!

**Evil Bunny1**: I think that the general response to this story is complete and utter confusion- it makes "The Butterfly Effect" look simple :) This is probably not a Good Thing. I have a soft spot for it because it's sort of my chance to play around with some ideas I've had about both series for quite a while without anyone caring too much (I think). Glad you enjoyed it though- thanks for taking the time to leave another one of your fun reviews :)

**wolfchild**: I'm really glad that you're enjoying this- I think that my sense of humor's a little strange at the best of times, so it's always nice to find someone else who likes it :) I think that Shippou's probably a hottie too- lucky, lucky Kagome :) Always great to hear from you and you can take credit for this chapter coming out now, because I was still paranoid about its accuracy and would have probably sat on it for another week or two :)

_Updated 02-08-05_


	5. Chapter 4: Tragedies

**Author's Notes**: This chapter could be taken as containing spoilers for the recent Inuyasha manga chapters. For those who are interested and not familiar with the manga SPOILER:

Kikyou returned to the exterminator village and Midoriko's petrified remains and took in Midoriko's soul the same way she has taken in souls of other dead women. She seems to have a much stronger connection to Midoriko's soul than the other women though….

**Chapter Summary**: Would a wish on the jewel ever really go well? Well, unless you're _into_ pain that is.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump.

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Chapter 4: Tragedies**

_There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, the other is getting it._  
-Oscar Wilde

_July 26, 1993. Tokyo._

This is definitely not what I want to see first thing in the morning.

"We need to talk."

Aw fuck.

"You know, Midoriko, Kikyo, Midikyo, Kiriko or whatever the hell it is you want to be called today, absence really _does_ make the heart grow fonder."

"Stop being childish. You are endangering the quest with your behavior. You will stop this stalking and tell your companion that you will not be renting the apartment."

"No rest for the wicked, eh? And the stalking…. Weren't you the one who told me to keep on eye on her in the first place? And while we're on the subject, why do you insist on hiding from everyone except me? This would be a hell of a lot easier if you'd just show yourself to Shi once in a while."

Of course I've asked her that last question at least once a week for the last five hundred years. At this point it's just another tactic to piss her off. Plus, if I can delay and distract her long enough maybe _this _time Shi will wake up in time to see her and sic his vines on her.

I'm not bitter.

Really.

I can practically see the smoke rising from her head- pretty impressive since she's basically transparent. It's purely academic curiosity that makes me decide to add fuel to the flames. Not because I'm evil and bitter.

"So what's changed since yesterday? I thought we'd agreed to disagree. I mean it's not like me watching out for her is interfering with the other missions."

"This is not a game! Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. You can't change what is meant to happen or it will destroy everything! There isn't some secret that you'll be able to find by watching her that will allow you to prevent this from happening!"

Wow.

Strangely enough, I honestly didn't think that she'd be able to pull her head out of her ass long enough to figure out what I was doing.

Well I guess if she was smart enough to get me into this mess in the first place, she's probably smart enough to figure out when I'm trying to get out of it.

I guess she figures she's made her point because she's gone again, leaving only that stupid floral scent behind. How the hell does a ghost/hallucination leave a scent?

There's no point in getting upset- I spent ten years trying to live up to her when she still had a body. I refuse to do it when she's only a nagging voice in my head.

I wonder if she ever regrets what she's done to me. I wonder if she feels as guilty for tricking me into doing this as I do for holding onto Shi. Both actions are a little like squashing an ant with a boulder. Hey- I never claimed to be bright and I was a hell of a lot more naive then- sunshine and flowers and all that shit.

We had ten years together, our little family.

Five years to complete the jewel and defeat Naraku, only to discover that the well stayed closed, even with the jewel in hand.

Five more years to debate what to do with the jewel, watch Sango and Miroku start a family and wake up every morning to a mouthful of silver hair.

Five minutes to destroy everything.

I miss them.

She did give me a choice. It wasn't as though she forced me to make that wish. Manipulated, coerced and took advantage of my naivety- yes. Forced- no.

It's always a matter of choice in the end. We can claim fate, destiny whatever makes us happier, but in the end it's still our hands on the sword hilt.

And I won't think about that. Self-pity is only amusing in small doses.

But even looking back now, knowing what I know now, I still can't see myself making a different choice. So maybe it wasn't really manipulation.

What do you do when you're offered the choice between the love of your life's soul and your own? Especially when you answer and forget that you're holding a very powerful, very quirky artifact that decides that 'I'll take over his promises! I want to give my soul in place of his!' counts as an unselfish wish.

Yeah.

It gets especially fun when you discover that a) an unselfish wish means that the jewel "disappears" alright- disappears and leaves your body to try and contain the four souls and b) the actual wish means that your soul is now bound to the Kikyo/Midoriko mess granting you temporary immortality until you finish a little five hundred year quest for their "protection".

And then you go to hell.

Oh yeah, and if you want your friends to survive the monster that you've now become (because you really don't have any control over those demon souls that are currently playing merry hell with your miko powers) and you don't want the wish to be reversed you need to leave Right. Now. Without saying good-bye.

And if Shi hadn't been following me and insisted on coming with me, I would never have seen any of them again.

I never did see the others again.

Of course it was all a lot more complicated than I first thought and I'm not really mad at the conjoined soul Drama Queen for pulling that stunt. Other things- yes. Making me make the wish- not so much. I still can't imagine knowingly condemning Inuyasha to hell. And the whole "preserving the continuity of history" thing sounded pretty important the first few times she explained it.

Frankly it's still not obvious to me how I've ended up in the center of a time loop that requires me to infect my fifteen-year old self with a re-formed Shikon no Tama.

The DQ was a little shifty on that part. And then she threw the kicker- that I was just lucky that I was able to preserve the world that had me come back rather than the mess that existed before

And that kicker gave me a faint shot of hope. Although she tried to hide it, what the DQ meant was that at _some point_ before this fucking loop, Higurashi Kagome never had the jewel and therefore never went through the well. And from a few things she let drop, in that world Inuyasha was released by a traveling monk who joined forces with him and a vengeful demon exterminator to take out the half-demon Naraku.

I guess some things never change.

But there would be some big differences. No puppet Kohaku. No detachments. No resurrected Kikyo. No dead puppet wolves. A significantly weaker Naraku. And Shippou's father alive and well. Sounds like a pretty good trade-off to me.

Despite what the DQ keeps telling me, this isn't the world that was meant to be. The jewel should be resting in the afterworld. Higurashi Kagome was never meant to carry the Shikon no Tama and I will do everything in my power to find a way to prevent it.

"You always look so noble and angsty first thing in the morning."

"Fucking morning-person kitsune."

"Hey, hey watch the language. And as you well know, I'm an 'anytime' kitsune."

It should be illegal to be able to waggle your eyebrows like that.

"My 'friend' doesn't want us to get the apartment."

"Your 'friend' can go play with explosives. You need a break, Kage, and I know that you're going to love the apartment. If she didn't give you a specific, mission-related reason that you can't stay there, you don't have to listen to her. Honestly I think she just likes trying to make you miserable."

"Good thing that we're too warped to care. With even half the stuff we do, it's pretty obvious that we're masochistic."

"Speak for yourself. I'm a giver **and **a taker."

"Shi- I haven't even had my coffee yet. I really don't need to think about your sex life."

Shi pouts. It is far too cute for a full-grown man.

"What sex life? I'm the most boring kitsune in the long history of my species."

"There. there. Now that we have an actual apartment you can start bringing the girls and guys home to Mom."

I'm almost scared by the sudden intensity in his eyes.

"You are many things, Kage, but you will never be my mother."

And I don't know what to say.

"That's good- I don't have any baby pictures to show them anyways."

Yes I'm avoiding it.

Yes I'm a coward.

So why am I disappointed when he just smiles and finishes packing the bags?

"Come on. You need to see our new place- I think you'll like the living-room set and the bedroom looks like a bordello."

"You've already FURNISHED it? What were you planning to do if I said 'No'?"

"We both know that you can't resist me. 'Sides you're as tired of living out of a suitcase as I am."

"You know, I hate it when you're right- Wait a sec, you said 'bedroom'. Without an 's.'"

Shi looks thoroughly unrepentant. Damn cocky bastard.

"We've been sharing a bed or a futon for five hundred years. Honestly I don't know if I could sleep without your rhythmic drooling."

Now as much as I'd like to comment on his nasal whine of a snore, there are more important issues at stake here.

"So what happens if you want to bring someone home?"

Shi pauses in the doorway.

"I'll take them somewhere else. The apartment's ours."

Well, I've finally gotten him to admit that he's looking, if only for a one-night stand.

So if I've won, why do I feel like I've lost?

-

**Reviewer Responses**

**Ryukotsusei**: I'm happy that you're enjoying the story- I was afraid that it was going to be too strange for anyone to like it :) Thanks for taking the time to review!

**Evil Bunny1**: I'm glad that a common thread is starting to become obvious- I'm trying to draw parallels but I'm not sure how well I'm succeeding :) This chapter definitely follows the "life is pain" theory, but I'd like to think that there is more than that and I hope that Kage will ultimately see that as well…. Thank you for the thought-provoking review. It's always a pleasure to hear from you :)

**Khaos-Fire Katana**: Good to hear from you and I'm glad that you like the story!

**bee bee**: I've put up the answers to the "Choice of Roads" questions on my LiveJournal- there's a link in the story and on my author profile. I hope that that helps you! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story- thanks for reviewing.

**Emerald-Eyed-Faye**: Sorry- I tried getting ahold of you, but the e-mail address didn't work for me. I'm still really interested in the fic, so hopefully we can catch up at some point. Maybe you could drop me an e-mail if you had the time? As always, don't worry about the reviewing- I'm just happy that you're continuing to enjoy the story :)

_Updated 02-19-05_


	6. Chapter 5: Tactics

**Author's Note**: Real life's been a bit hectic, but I hope that you enjoy the new chapter. Happy Easter!

**Quick Vocabulary**:

**Kuromoto**: Black base/origin/source

**Bakumatsu**: The late period of the Tokugawa shogunate in which the Meiji Revolution occurred. There were wide-spread killings of many of the ruling elite during this time.

**Chapter Summary**: Never forget that sometimes things go wrong just because someone up there Just. Doesn't. Like. You.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump.

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Chapter 5: Tactics**

_Strategy is buying a bottle of fine wine when you take a lady out for dinner. Tactics is getting her to drink it._

-Frank Muir

_September 6, 1881. Meiji Era Kyoto._

"We need to talk."

I'm going to kill her. I don't care if she's already dead. Shi nearly _died_ trying to get me out of that mess she put us in.

Thank gods he's still passed out- I don't need him to see me try to strangle a bodiless spirit.

"You nearly got us killed! What were you planning on doing if I'd died while you kept me frozen?"

It's probably good that my miko powers kicked in enough overnight to completely heal my throat- screaming is a very important means of expression.

How does she always keep her face that stiff? Does it freeze that way when you become a spirit? And how the hell does she always make me feel like I'm a whiny five-year old without ever saying anything?

"There is a purpose for everything. You are not as strong as you need to be- it should have been easy for you to regain control of yourself. You let yourself get out of balance enough that the demons were able to take partial control. Again."

This is why it doesn't pay to argue with the guilt-trip queen. Don't worry, Kikyo, I've got hundreds of years worth of guilt and sorrow for what happened the last time.

There's no point in trying to get her to apologize or even admit that she was wrong. She's got centuries of stuff to guilt me with. There's nothing I can do to convince her that it was wrong to freeze me, to unleash the souls in the middle of a fight so that Shi was forced to both fight and keep me from falling apart. But gods, if Shi had died…

I'll pull out the "good little soldier" face. I messed up enough last night insulting Okashira and just now yelling at the queen. It's time to get back to business.

"Why are we here?"

A brief flicker of… approval? passes over her face.

"You have three Kyoto-area missions."

Ahhh… Missions…

Apparently whoever's in charge of my wish wasn't content to just let me carry the jewel for five hundred years. Apparently I have to make the future in which I turn over the jewel actually _happen._

And what does that mean?

Well, I'm not really sure. Apparently it involves doing a whole bunch of random stuff which causes chain reactions that we never stick around long enough to see.

As far as I can actually tell though, most of my 'missions' fall into the muse/inspiration or 'hand of god' categories. Basically Shi and I 'inspire' famous artists or inventors- generally by getting them very, very drunk and slipping them ideas or by flashing some flesh so that they can 'capture' us in art. So maybe 'muses' is a bit of a stretch.

We also make objects show up in the right place at the right time, cause random timeline-essential property damage and interfere in strange and very specific ways in people's lives. Although there _was _that one matchmaking attempt where the samurai was far more interested in bedding Shi than his future wife-

"The missions have a minimum duration of two years."

Two years!

We haven't stayed that long in one place since-

Well, it's been a while anyways.

"Your mission is to convince Kuromoto, a mid-ranked government official with family connections to the Emperor, to open negotiations with the foreign traders that I specify."

Mid-ranked government official with royal connections? Most of them hate foreigners.

This is going to be fun.

But you know, in a strange way, I _like_ a bit of a challenge.

"And what am I supposed to do once he 'opens negotiations'?"

"I'll tell you once you get him to open negotiations."

Oh please not a push job.

But wait a second there…

"You said three assignments… That's only part of one assignment."

"You'll hear the other assignments once you've performed each part of each subsequent task to my satisfaction."

And she's gone.

Oh this is _not _good.

-

I don't even notice when Shi wakes up until I feel his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you doing better now?"

"I'm basically healed. I was able to use a lot of healing powers after you got things started because of the dark energy she released from the souls."

Shi's grip tightens.

"How far did the souls get if you were allowed to heal that fast to balance their energy?"

I turn to face him, squeezing his free hand in an attempt to reassure him.

"I'm still me. I didn't lose control. Without you I'd be dead but… we're both still here."

Shi takes a deep breath and changes the subject.

"I'm assuming she decided to tell you something- so what's the situation?"

"Apparently we're here for at least two years and we've got three assignments."

Shi starts and blinks rapidly. "We haven't stayed that long in one place since-"

"For a while. I don't know what she's doing either. I only know part of the first assignment, I'll hear the second assignment when the first part of the first assignment is done and we won't hear the third assignment until both of the others are complete."

He shakes his head, absently rubbing the palm of my hand. "This doesn't sound good. So what's the first job?"

"The first assignment is to get some mid-ranked, emperor-related government official to get involved in trade negotiations with the some of the foreign businessmen currently in town. I think it's going to end up being a 'push' job."

Shi flinches. "Damn. I was hoping we weren't going to have to do any more of those."

Ah the push job. As in "Sometimes a man walks off the edge of a cliff. And sometimes he's pushed."

Shi and I don't just act as muses and inspirations- according to my miko guardian some people need to die at certain times for the future to work properly. We don't have to pull the trigger but we do have to make sure that they're in the right place at the right time to get whacked. Frankly I'd almost prefer a direct assassination even if it would "pollute the timeline".

"So what's our cover this time?"

"In the letter Misao-san sent with us it says that you're a distant cousin and my guard-"

"And you got pulled from the shrine you had been training at to fulfill family obligations?"

"Yes."

Shi frowns.

"You look really young dressed like this, Kage. Wouldn't we be better to go as master and student again?"

"Which wouldn't explain why I am a technically better swordsman, although slower and weaker than you. Not to mention that everyone-"

"Would think that we were sleeping together. Again."

Shi only pauses for a moment.

"But that wouldn't be a problem if we didn't have to involve the Oniwabanshu- if we were on our own, it wouldn't matter if people thought that we were involved."

"Blame my favorite invisible friend. _She'_s the one who insisted we involve the damn ninjas in the first place."

Shi gives me the I'm-_totally_-baiting-you grin.

"But whose incredible skill was it that made the Tokyo Okashira our new best friend?"

"Oh hell, Shi. I'm not proud that I drank the poor woman under the table and got her to tell me her life story."

He smiles helpfully. "Don't forget the dancing."

"Please Shi- I'm really trying to forget that."

"It's all right- it's nice to know that you're still unable to dance even after four hundred years of practice."

I'd hit him, but it's true. I dance like a spastic monkey. Time to change the subject.

"So if we're dealing with foreign merchants, we're going to need to translate."

"My understanding of German and Portuguese is decent- I've had a few hundred years of practice, but I'm not so sure about speaking it. What other languages would we need?"

"Possibly English. And I haven't opened an English book in four hundred years and I never could speak it properly."

"So an English translator?"

I nod and then remember the night before.

"The Okashira's a sensitive. He nearly found out last night."

I pretend not to hear the Shi's very creative curse.

"So we need other living quarters."

"Yes- it'll be a bit more work, but it would be nice to not have to deal with him all the time anyways."

Shi grins.

"You mean you discovered his charming personality last night too? Well, let's figure out how to find him and get this over with."

I'm slightly disturbed that the screen opens the minute I take down the privacy and protection wards from the night before. It's a house servant, who bows before delivering his message.

"The Okashira requests an audience in his office."

Shi whispers in my ear as he falls in behind me, "And here we go."

-

I think I can see how I thought the place was so huge last night. It's actually not one building at all but a series of smaller buildings arranged in a walled compound. Although the external architecture is fairly traditional, there are definitely some non-Japanese influences on the inside design. The place probably belonged to one of the lords who was eliminated in the Bakumatsu purge. Poor bastard.

"Come in."

We enter the office. The Okashira is standing in front of us and gives an almost imperceptible bow of greeting, making a gesture to indicate that we should sit.

Well if that's the way you want to play it.

Shi bows marginally lower, but I return the exact degree of bow that the Okashira gave us. Neither of us sit.

I can practically feel the air freeze as Shi hands the letter from Misao-san to the human icicle.

He quickly scans the letter and turns to Shi with a distinct frown.

"You're not couriers."

"No."

Tall and dark gives a quickly suppressed jerk. Obviously he didn't take me as the commanding partner in the relationship. Boy is he in for a surprise.

"It says that I am to… aid you in any way possible."

Now, now- don't look like you swallowed something unpleasant.

"You _are_ aware of my organization's normal fees?"

It's time for him to take us seriously. I look up at him and meet his eyes.

Maybe that was a mistake.

I don't think that I can concentrate.

Hell with it. I'm far too stubborn to back down now.

"Money is no object, Aoshi-san."

Oh that got an eye twitch.

"You may address me as 'Okashira' or 'Shinomori-san'."

Stupid political power games.

Thank gods you don't need an honorific in my head.

Aoshi.

Nyah, nyah, nyah.

Okay, so maybe 'political power games' is a bit of a stretch.

"Very well, Shinomori-san." If I can concede the point graciously it's not a loss and has the added advantage of making him look rude. Somehow I doubt that's going to bother him as much as it should.

"Regardless Shinomori-san, we would be happy to pay the required price for the services of your organization."

And I'm tired of all this stupid dancing, so I'm going to get straight to the point. This is why Shi is normally the talking partner.

"We're involved in a long-term two year operation with multiple phases. While we appreciated your generous hospitality last night, we will be happy to find our own temporary quarters and only return when we have need of your services."

You know, for a guy with little to no facial expression, Aoshi sure pulls off the evil eye-glint well.

"Oh no, Higurashi-san. If you and your-"

"Guard." I won't play that game, Aoshi.

"If you and your 'guard' are willing to pay that much for our services, I _insist_ that you remain under our protection for the duration of our contract. For safety reasons of course."

Not counting the Shi thing, I think that he managed to insult me at least three times in two sentences. He's pretty good at this.

"You seem to doubt my abilities as a bondsman. Would you care to inspect my weapon to better judge my credentials?"

Shi obviously wants me to keep my temper under control, but I don't think he's really considered that that statement could be taken as a) he wants to show Aoshi his sword b) he wants to start a fight with Aoshi or c) he wants to show Aoshi his 'sword'.

Although looking at Aoshi, maybe he has.

Aoshi nods and gestures for Shi to come closer, so obviously he's taking it as a or c.

And why is some part of my mind screaming "C, pick C"?

Shi slowly unsheathes his katana, bringing it forward for Aoshi's inspection.

Now a good katana doesn't necessarily mean anything about your abilities as a fighter, but then again, you have to have earned the money or prestige to get it _somehow_. So one way or the other it says a lot about your position in life. And Shi's sword… Well, it's pretty special.

Aoshi's eyes light up in what can only be described as sheer lust.

Figures it would take a pointy sword to get him going.

It _is_ a gorgeous blade, but still.

"What do you call it?"

Oh he's _so_ asking for it.

"Pointy End."

Shi's face is completely blank. Aoshi actually blinks.

"The-"

"Pointy End. As in 'The Pointy End goes here.'"

And then Shi makes a hand gesture that could either be completely innocent or very, very suggestive depending on the weather, the cycle of the moon and whether or not Shi has ever made an innocent gesture in his life.

We're going to die.

Hey- did the corner of Mr. Icicle's mouth just _twitch_?

"That seems appropriate."

You know if he weren't such an arrogant icicle of a human being I'd love him for being able to pull that off with a completely straight face. Not many people manage to get the better of Shi.

But he's not finished.

"Does yours have a name as well?"

"Poke."

Aoshi-san holds up a hand. "Don't explain. I don't want to know."

Damn. Now I can't do our "poke the pointy end" routine.

Yeah. I know. Toutousai wasn't that impressed either.

By the time we finished our little show, he was practically in tears at the thought of giving us his only non-demonic, strictly metallic swords.

But Aoshi isn't even going to give me an opening.

"So what are you doing and why do you want to involve my organization?"

I suppose 'I don't know' won't work. Does 'because the ghost of my lover's ex-girlfriend told me to' count?

"We need to open negotiations with some of the foreign merchants in Kyoto on behalf of a specific government official and we will need to translate between the merchants and between the merchants and the official."

"We're not sure of the nationality of the traders yet- Shi and I can communicate with Portuguese or German-speaking merchants, but I suspect that at least some of our contacts will be English-speakers. It would also be helpful to have someone who could verify our translations for the other languages and help us find information on our contacts."

Aoshi's expression is carefully neutral. "So you need a translator and potential information gatherer for interactions with foreign merchants in order to help you act as liaisons/spies on behalf of an un-named government official?"

Shi mutters beneath his breath, "Well he doesn't exactly know that we're acting on his behalf."

I give him a quick, sharp elbow in the ribs and turn a blank face to Aoshi.

"Do you have any suggestions Shinomori-san?"

Oh. I _really _don't like that look in his eyes.

"Yes."

He's going to make me ask, isn't he?

"And who would you suggest, sir?"

"Me."

-

**Reviewer Responses**

**Ryukotsusei**: I'm really having a lot of fun portraying grown-up Shippou- so I'm glad that you like the characterization :) It's been challenging for me to try and show everyone's emotions while limited to a first person perspective, so it makes me happy that you think that they are coming across. Very glad that you are enjoying the story- thanks for taking the time to review again!

**Evil Bunny1**: Mmmm… Banana bread… Actually I got as far as the banana bread, became extremely hungry and had a hard time concentrating on the rest of the review. Curse you and your evil banana bread supporting ways! "Self-pity is only amusing in small doses." I'm so glad that things are starting to come together- this story is all about parallels and joinings and splittings and hopefully the end result will bear a closer resemblance to a rug than most of my ill-fated knitting efforts ;) And fucking with the 'space time continuum'? A god-given right ;) "And then you go to hell." I'm having so much fun writing this and I always love hearing from you. I hope that you enjoy the new chapter!

**Lonewolf-chica**: I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story. I promise that the relationships will soon become obvious, but they're going to be pretty strange anyways :) Thanks for taking the time to review!

**Khaos-Fire Katana**: I was really trying to do something different- get a chance to try out some of my ideas that I hadn't seen done in IY fanfiction before. Of course, this isn't always all that successful, but I'm sure having a lot of fun playing with Kagome, Shippou and Aoshi. I don't think anyone is going to be able to forgive me for this story by the time I'm finished, but I hope that at least a few people will be able to get something out my warped sense of humour. Glad that you're enjoying it- it's always a pleasure to hear from you!

**bee bee**: You don't annoy me at all by asking questions and what you had to ask was more than fair :) Actually, this **is **the Rurouni Kenshin crossover that is going to focus on Aoshi and that's all I can say for now, but I will say that you'll probably enjoy at least part of the future plot ;) I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story- thank-you for continuing to review!

**ForestSprite**: Eep! Not Jaken-like things! You know, I think that's one of my more creative threats- cookies for you! I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story- I'm having so much fun writing it. Thanks for reviewing!

**Emerald-Eyed-Faye**: Ah yes- the evil spacebar. I too have been a victim of its nefarious mechanical mind. Of course that could just be my complete inability to work with anything electronic without causing problems, but I'm going to pretend that it's actually the result of a conspiracy :) And your support made it possible to finish 'Roads'- I was honored to have you as a reviewer :) I'm especially happy now that you enjoyed 'His Story History'- I love Souta and I've been wanting to write something about him for some time now. Although the one shot didn't end as strongly as I'd have liked, it has a special place in my heart just because it's Souta-centric. It's always a pleasure to hear from you and I hope that we can touch bases very soon :)

**nereidaia**: Wow. I was thrilled to read your thoughtful, detailed reviews and I will try to answer them with the attention that they deserve. –Rolls up sleeves-

Grins- Yup. The prologue's pretty much one big 'WTF'? I really debated about writing the story this way, but I wanted to create a sense of disorientation for the first few chapters as you slowly figure out who's talking, what's going on and what's actually at stake in the plots. In hindsight, I failed miserably- the opening was far too vague and, even though there was a reason for the name changes, being hit with only unfamiliar names probably wasn't a good intro to the story :) I'm delighted that the humor and the writing style pulled you in though- I hope that other readers will be willing to tough it out as well, 'cause I'd have to take the whole thing down to rewrite it at this point. I'm a vocabulary nut- I believe that if I'm going to post vocab there should be a reason I'm keeping it in Japanese and a pretty good explanation of the context of the word involved. I'm glad to meet a fellow nut :) I think that part of the problem with this story is that it's pretty tightly outline based so a _lot _of the clues only make retroactive sense. This is probably something that I need to work on in future chapters. I have a lot of fun writing both the summaries and the Aoshi interactions, so I'm very happy that you're enjoying them. And, as is probably pretty obvious, I very much join you in the Aoshi fangirling ;) The idea of Shi having his particular interaction with plants is something that I've been tossing around for awhile- I really wanted to do a variation on the normal kitsune interactions and it's definitely going to figure more into the story. Po's actually a fairly common Chinese male name and a bit of a play on the missing part of Shi's new name (Shi-Po. Yeah. I like bad puns). I hadn't even thought of the Teletubbies although now I have this horrific vision of this huge purple vine with a triangular head… Thank you very much. Wow. I also love the pairings shown in the manga of my favorite series, but end up reading/writing almost exclusively alternates. I wonder why it works that way? And I agree with you on the Aoshi/Misao- it was one of the few canon suggested pairings that I thought wouldn't work because of that parental overtone, although I love both characters. And yes, that particular horse hasn't quite been flogged to death yet in the story ;) As for your final comment, believe me, by the time this story is finished, _everyone _is going to be sick of 'the paradox of time'. Thank-you so much for your constructive and helpful criticism and your thoughtful, detailed comments. I hope that you continue to enjoy the story!

**whirleeq**: I am far too fond of plot twists and 'The hell?' openings. It is an addiction. One that I plan to fully feed in this story :) And don't worry- Aoshi's role will soon become obvious ;) Great to hear from you- I'm glad that you're enjoying the story!

**angel-demoness7**: Updated! Glad that you enjoyed it- thanks for reviewing :)

_Updated 03-27-05_


	7. Chapter 6: Strategy

**Author's Notes**: I'm very sorry for the delay in posting- real life has been a mess. That being said, I'd like to thank everyone who nominated and voted for "Mobius" at the IYFG- I really liked the pretty banner ;) To head off the questions at the pass- there are no original characters introduced this chapter. As a final note- if you've sent me an e-mail/posted something to my LJ sometime in the last three months and haven't received a response, please feel free to re-email me. I'm afraid that a lot of things got lost in the outside mess that was real life and I certainly didn't intend to ignore people. I'm always more than happy to answer questions and would be happy to make it up to those of you I missed.

**Chapter Summary**: Selflessness is for the idiots who don't have anything worth losing.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shounen Sunday. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump.

**Warning**: Rated R for language, violence, and adult situations.

**Chapter 6: Strategy**

_Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy._

-Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"

_August 2, 1993. Tokyo._

"So what's the plan?"

"What plan?"

I try to blink innocently, but the last time I pulled off that particular look on Shi was well-before my great-grandparents were born. I should have known that tagging Kagome and setting up the apartment would only distract Shi for so long.

Po seems to sense my nervousness and crawls out from under my shirt to rub against my cheek. I can't help absently stroking him. He's an evil letch of a vine but he's good at the touchy-feely stuff. As long as he stops randomly transmitting pictures of Kagome in her underwear, we'll all get along fine. But I'm procrastinating and Shi is obviously not going to be put off any longer.

"You know that I'm trying to set things back the way that they used to be before this fucking loop and that our guide rather strongly… disagrees."

"Kage- that's been obvious since Kyoto. And I thought that pissing off your invisible friend was one of the main reasons you were doing it."

I'm vaguely insulted.

"Would I really be that bitchy?"

By the time we've both finished laughing, Shi doesn't look as glowery anymore and I'm calm enough to outline the plan for him. It was about time to fill him in anyways. He's a step ahead of me though- as usual.

"I don't necessarily understand why you think that there's something _here _that you can change that will be key to the whole thing. Why do you think that there's some specific reason that she picked this time and this Kagome, other than her abilities and location at the shrine?"

I realize that I'm going to have to tell him the things that I've been just trying to understand myself. I can only hope that they'll be enough to convince him.

"There _has _to be some special reason that she picked me. I have some miko powers but they were really diluted before the jewel got popped in."

"You know this?"

"I've been testing this Kagome out. She's nowhere near as powerful as Kikyo or even me, not even in potential."

"Wow…"

"So you can see that there has to be some reason, something I do, someone I meet, something that happens that made her choose me in the first place. And not just because I was in the right area. I mean why _now_ of all times? I'm obviously not her reincarnation if she had to pop the jewel in, so why me, why now?"

"It doesn't make sense, Kage. How could Urasue animate that body if you didn't have Kikyo's soul?"

"I don't know. But I intend to find out."

For the first time since Shi got an inkling of what I wanted to do, he looks excited. I feel mildly guilty, but the best way to engage a kitsune is to give him a puzzle. And I'm just about to reel in the line.

"If I can see the patterns, figure out what she's planning and _why_, I may have a chance to stop it, Shi. The outside attacks are a lot less frequent now, she hasn't given us a mission in months… It's something in this time that she's been building towards, something to do with Kagome before she hits her fifteenth birthday. If I can figure out what it is…"

He nods and I'm briefly mesmerized –again- by all that pretty bouncy red hair. It should be illegal for boys to have hair that shiny.

"It was too soon before now to start putting things together- I needed to see the results of our changes, figure out what the effects were so I could figure out what to change now. And the small archives that I was getting into really didn't show enough of the overall effect of what we've done. And, as much as I hate to agree with the Drama Queen, stalking Kagome twenty-four hours a day isn't really giving me any idea which of her actions or encounters I need to change."

Even though I'm not really explaining myself well, Shi seems to understand. Either that or he's gotten really good at nodding along with my babbling without paying all that much attention.

"So what did you find now that wasn't there a year or two ago?"

I pull out the crumpled flier that gave me the first hope that I'd had for my plan for years.

"The new Edo-Tokyo Museum? But it only displays four hundred years of Tokyo history…. And what's a museum going to have that those small archives won't?"

"It's not the museum itself- the display center's probably an overdone tourist trap."

He gets it about five seconds before I give the answer.

"The archives and the curators. All the people and documents that could give you information on basically the entire time period you're interested in all stored in one place. And it's finally been long enough that you can start to see the long-term effects of our actions."

Trust Shi to almost instantly realize the other problem.

"So what happens if your 'friend' shows up and crashes the party?"

"Her relapse time is getting longer as time goes on, Shi. It's taking longer and longer for her to be able to manifest again after she appears. And she can't see what I'm doing otherwise. Right now I think it's down to once a day."

"So if we work fast-"

"We can get a lot of stuff done before she shows up again."

Shi will do anything for me, and I mean that more literally and with far more proof than most people who say something like that. But as we leave the apartment and I watch him lock the door, I get that brief shiver of knowledge that happens just before the storm breaks. Just because Shi will do anything for me, is it really fair to involve him in this? Midikyo may not be able to touch, but I know that they've managed to take out a number of people on their own during their brief manifestations, all without being seen by anyone but me. So far they've left Shi alone, but after what happened in Kyoto… and they're getting desperate I know. The Drama Queen's never yelled at me like that before and their obvious fear is going to make them unpredictable. They need me alive, but they haven't hesitated in the past to screwing with those I care about to further their purpose. And the closer we get to the final bang…. Well, I'm going to have to decide soon if I need to cut Shi loose to save him.

Don't turn and look at me like that, Shi. Please, please when the time comes let me be strong enough, selfless enough to give up your smile.

Ah fuck it. I'm not good at that maudlin crap anymore. Let's get our asses to the station and then to Shinjuku and the connector.

On the train, watching Tokyo speed past, I wonder what Shi thinks of this new world. He's pressed to my back, arms wrapped around me, head resting on my shoulder so that I can't see his face. Time was that we'd get kicked off the train for something like that. Now we just get a few quiet glares and surprised looks. Tokyo's changing. Japan's changing. The _world's_ changing. Shi and I are frozen. And maybe I don't want to know what he thinks.

We don't talk the entire trip, even during the Shinjuku transfer. Shi doesn't let go of me though and even though I try to run through my plans and Kikyo's possible plans in my mind, all I can focus on are Shi's fingers rubbing circles on my stomach. Even with the tightly packed crowd in the car, I amaze myself with the speed I manage to exit at the museum station. I may be trying to be good and selfless but I'm not made of fucking stone. One stone miko's more than enough and I'm sure as hell not Midoriko.

I was, unfortunately, right about the quality of displays at the museums. Most of the interesting stuff must be in storage and it's probably going to take Shi and I a few trips to figure out the curators we want to target and the story we want to use to gain access to the archives.

I'm just looking over some of the displays, trying to figure out how to initially speak to one of the curators, when I hear the voices behind us. The male one is so familiar… Oh well, it isn't as if eavesdropping is the worst thing that I've done in the last five hundred years.

"This place looks like a cave. A _big _cave."

"What an articulate and accurate description. Why did I bring you here again?"

"That village down there is complete and utter shit. Nobody lived like that!"

"It's supposed to be a rough recreation."

"And wow. They're sure obsessed with WWII."

"It _was_ pretty traumatic, Kouga."

It can't be.

It _can't _be.

Oh god…

It is.

Note to future self: don't jump on unprepared, disguised wolf youkai in the middle of a public place while clinging to them like a barnacle and making choking noises. I think I just took a few hundred years off his life.

"Ka-Kagome?"

I'll forgive him the name. Just this once. Especially since I can't seem to breathe to speak.

"Kage? I'm sorry sir- my friend is very affectionate and obviously mistook you for someone else-"

I finally get enough air to speak as Shi tries to pry me loose. "Shi- it's Kouga."

He freezes, his hands still on my arms. I wonder how he missed the aura or the scent- it's not like him to miss things like that-

Okay. Now Kouga is holding me so tightly that I _can't_ breathe.

"They said you were dead, that you were killed in that fire in Kyoto. Kagome…."

Okay. We're really going to have to work on that name thing. And the snuffling the hair thing.

"Perhaps we should take this little reunion out of the building?"

It's the woman who was with Kouga. And suddenly Shi lets go of my arms.

"Megumi?"

"Shi. It's been awhile."

"I _knew _it had to be someone pretty powerful to mount an illusion I couldn't see through."

"Ohoho. Always the charmer, Shi."

What the _hell_?

Okay. Definitely time to take this outside.

I realize about five steps from the entrance, Kouga's arm still around my waist, that the woman talking so animatedly to Shi is a kitsune. Apparently Shi's not the only one that's been distracted. Not good at all. Time to start paying a bit more attention to their conversation.

"-So you're involved with the museum then, Megumi?"

The fox lady flashes a smile back towards Kouga and I.

"Yes- I was trying to instill a little culture in the boorish wolf, but obviously it's a completely lost cause."

I look up just as Kouga returns her smile. The difference is amazing- the last time I saw Kouga I was pretty sure he was on the fast track to fading and to see him smile like that… Well, I'm already predisposed to like Megumi the fox lady if she can bring him back to his old self that strongly-

Wait.

Why is she touching Shi like that?

No. No grabby hands there!

I didn't just growl. I really, really didn't. And Po can stop trying to massage the back of my neck with his leaves because my muscles aren't going to loosen for quite awhile yet.

I don't like her. I don't like the amused glances she's giving me while she's talking to Shi. I don't like that –knowing- look in her eyes as she talks to him. I hate feeling like I've suddenly gone back to being a self-centered, hormone driven teenager. It's not fair and I know it's not fair- she's obviously smart, powerful and pretty funny if Shi's response to her is any indication. And for Kouga to still be alive she has to be some kind of miracle worker. It's just… she's not like the potential one-night stands I had pictured in my mind. Shi obviously knows her, there's history, and I know that traveling with me is going to get him destroyed. I know I'm way ahead of myself, but this is the first time in years that there's even been a potential and frankly- time is running out. Can I do any less for him than for the others I cared about? If he's got a chance with what has to be one of the last kitsune in the world, can I be any less willing to give him up than the other men I lov-

Oh fuck.

Not the time to think about this.

"So Megumi-san, Shi and I were hoping to find some of the curators responsible for the museum and maybe determine the best way to gain access to the archives. Do you have any idea who a good contact curator might be?"

Oh that kitsune smirk is _not _a good sign.

"Why yes I do, Kage-chan."

She's going to make me ask, isn't she? And everyone else is also smirking and they obviously know something that I missed while I was feeling sorry for myself, don't they?

"And who would you suggest, Megumi-san?"

"Me."

-

**Reviewer Responses**

**Quick Author's Note: **To repeat my foreword and hopefully head the questions off at the pass- Yes. Megumi _is_ the Rurouni Kenshin Megumi and not an O.C. And yes- this is still canon and there is an explanation.

**KhaosFire-Katana**: -Waves sheepishly- Well hun, I finally got enough time together to get this next chap finished. I'm glad that you're enjoying the twistiness because, as this chapter shows, there's still whole lot more twist to come. I'm afraid that I'm not capable of any humour but warped, so I'm glad that you're sitting with me in the same boat ;) Always lovely to hear from you!

**FirstQueen**: Hee. I had far too much fun writing the wildly inappropriate pointy end conversation- I'm just glad that someone had as much fun with it as I did ;)

**bee bee**: I can't really say what the pairings are going to be without spoiling the story, but I will say that both Aoshi and Kagome are going to be spending a lot of time with one another. I hope that that at least partially answers your question- I'm glad that you're continuing to enjoy the story.

**Lonewolf-chica**: Well, I sat down and thought about it and I came to the conclusion that swords probably would be Aoshi's biggest turn-ons. And you probably don't want to know what kind of person makes that kind of mental conclusion ;) The' poke the pointy end' act, while wildly inappropriate, was one of the most fun parts of the chapter to write. I'm glad that you enjoyed it- thanks for commenting!

**Emerald-Eyed-Faye**: -Hides from her awesome and loyal reviewer- The last three months have been utter hell, but a good chunk of the reason this next chap got posted at all was because I felt so badly about how good you've been about taking the time to comment and encourage me while I was writing this. So er… yeah. This is your fault. Aoshi is definitely a character worth fangirling- whether you know about Rurouni Kenshin or not. In all seriousness, he's a fascinating character with a great backstory and I highly recommend reading up on him if you get the chance. As for Butterfly, as long as you don't tell anyone, the next chap should be up within the week. I'm trying to play catch-up here and hopefully everything will be done up pretty soon.

**Mom the Manga Fan**: I just have to say that I loved your thoughtful reviews- both for "Mobius" and for "A Choice of Roads". I hope that my horrendous delay in updating hasn't put you completely off the story because I thoroughly enjoyed hearing from you. Yes- I did want to create a sense of disorientation in the prologue and first few chapters, following the theme of a Mobius strip where no matter where you start, it's never the beginning and only gets twistier as you go along. Unfortunately, I erred a little too far on the side of twistiness and will have to remember to drop a few more clues in future when attempting something like this. As for cynical!Kagome… er… I also can attest to the sweet-girl-changing thing and Kagome's always struck me as having a pretty steely core that I wanted to play around with. I'm glad that you agree. It was a real delight to hear from you and I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

**regretfully-yours-Cassy-chan**: Updated! Glad that you're continuing to enjoy the story :)

**Geasa17**: I'm glad that you enjoy the writing style- it's a little odd and not all that coherent, but I'm playing around a bit with seeing how it works in showing the way Kagome's mind works. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

**whirleeq**: I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story- I have far too much fun writing Shi and the bad, bad pointy end jokes. And Shi as a pretty kitsune who would use either sword for domination? –Blinks innocently- Well, we'll just have to wait and see ;) I was extremely flattered to be nommed for IYFG especially against you and the other talented crossover writers. You seem to be nommed fairly frequently in that category, don't you, hun? Congrats on your many nods from the guild then- I look forward to your future noms as reading material ;) Thanks for taking the time to comment!

**Tamia**: Threatened with Poky Sticks and Huggly Wuggly Bears? Oh this is a much better class of death threats. I like you. Can I get the Huggly Wuggly Bear even though I updated? –Tried to blink appealingly-

**Duzzie**: I was far too fond of the pointy end routine and I was honestly not sure of how it was going to go over. I'm delighted that so many people seem to share my very warped sense of humour though ;) I'm trying to work on a slow unveiling of what's going on and what's happened, but it **is** confusing as all hell- I only hope that it will become less so as time goes on. It was a delight to hear from you- I hope that you continue to enjoy the story ;)

**Amy the Evitable**: I love Kagome, I really do, but for some reason when I write her, I like to poke her with pointy sticks until that inner steely cynic that I see flashes of in canon gets brought to the front. I'm a very, very bad fan I know. I'm not big on self-pity as a plot device and I can't see Kagome after what she's been through wanting to wallow in it unless she was making fun of herself. I'm glad that you agree. And I also agree that it was a masterful coup of Shi's to pull off that many joint hotspring trips without anyone catching on to his Shippou disguise. I'm not going to comment on pairings one way or the other because it would spoil both the fun and the plot, but I will comment that I am also a pervert of the first water. You were a really fun reviewer- I hope that you continue to enjoy the story.

_Updated 06-25-05_


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